Court Orders Apple India to Refund Customer Over Defective iPhone 15

A district consumer commission in Haryana directed Apple India to refund Rs 45,500 to a customer over an iPhone 15 that allegedly suffered from persistent overheating, Bluetooth connectivity failures, and network-related issues, according to an August 7, 2026 ruling by the Rohtak District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission.

Thermal Thresholds and Technical Disputes in the Rohtak Commission

The case centers on advocate Rajbir Phogat, who purchased an iPhone 15 for Rs 64,999 in January 2024, according to coverage from The Economic Times. Shortly after purchase, the handset experienced overheating, Bluetooth connectivity failures and network-related issues. Phogat engaged with an authorized service centre where a customer care executive altered device settings, promising a fix that never materialized. Subsequent escalation to Apple’s customer care service led to an update on April 29, 2024, aimed at resolving call-drop and network issues. The problems continued.

Apple India denied any manufacturing defect in the unit. The company’s legal defense rested on claims that the hardware showed unauthorized modifications. Specifically, the authorized service centre pointed to dust particles in the buttons, an allegedly unauthorized rear camera lens, back glass, enclosure scratches, and an issue involving the rear microphone.

The Diagnostic Impasse Over Unauthorized Modifications

Apple argued that Phogat refused to send the device to a repair centre after service personnel flagged the alleged tampering. Yet, the bench comprising president Nagender Singh Kadian and members Tripti noted a critical evidentiary gap: the smartphone was ultimately handed back to the consumer without being repaired.

Phogat purchased an additional iCloud storage tier for Rs 75 per month starting May 31, 2024. When network dropouts persisted, he switched his cellular service from Jio to Airtel on May 29, 2024. Neither intervention resolved the problems.

Financial Penalties and Regulatory Accountability

The Rohtak District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission evaluated purchase invoices, diagnostic job sheets from June 2024 detailing network connectivity, overheating and Bluetooth complaints, and call-failure screenshots. Because Apple and its authorized partners failed to provide sufficient technical evidence to establish that the user had tampered with the device, the commission ruled against the vendor.

Photo: economictimes.indiatimes.com

Apple India must now execute a refund of Rs 45,500 to the customer. Additionally, the commission mandated a payment of Rs 5,000 for mental agony and harassment, alongside another Rs 5,000 designated for litigation costs.